New Itinerary

[sd21]

March 2008 leave Vancouver for a 80 day Trip

Fly to Paris
Paris 5 Nights

Train to Brugge
Brugge 3 Nights

Train to Amsterdam
Amsterdam 5 Nights

Train to Berlin
Berlin 3 Nights

Train to Prague
Prague 5 Nights

Train to Munich
Munich 4 Nights

Train to Salzburg
Salzburg 2 Nights

Train to Vienna
Vienna 4 Nights

Train to Budapest
Budapest 5 Nights

Train to Venice
Venice 3 Nights

Train to Florence
Florence 3 Nights

Train to Rome
Rome 7 Nights

Train to Naples
Naples 4 Nights

Train/Ferry/Bus to Athens
Athens/Greece 8 Nights

Train/Ferry/Train to Rome

Fly to Barcelona
Barcelona 4 Nights

Train to Seville
Seville 3 Nights

Train to Madrid
Madrid 4 Nights

Train to Lisbon
Lisbon 4 Nights

Train to Porto
Porto 3 Nights

Fly to Paris

Fly Home to Vancouver

Any Suggestions or places I have missed where I should go or places I shouldnt go.

[me]

hi,

one idea to think anout: shift your Greece visit to a different time in your plan. e.g., between Vienna & Budapest or Budapest & Venice <there are flights Viena & Athens, Budapest & Athens, Venice & Athens, even Rome & Athens; not between Naples & Athens>

Berlin &, maybe, Vienna rate another night, each. Amsterdam & Budapest might be places to each yield a night.

i'd suggest Madrid would be better between Barcelona & Seville. from Seville, head East, by bus, to Lagos for a day or two. also head North from Lagos on a bus to Lisbon, maybe even Porto. [busses are great in Portugal!]

[Eagle]

sd21, Is there a specific reason you chose the cities in that order? I would probably arrange the route a bit differently:

> Paris
> Brugges
> Amsterdam
> Berlin
> Prague
> Vienna
> Budapest
> Salzburg
> Munich
> Venice
> Florence
> Rome
> Naples
> Athens (are you boarding the Ferry in Brindisi? Also, 8 nights seems like a lot for Athens. Are you going anywhere else in Greece?)
> Rome (I haven't checked - are there no flights from Athens to Barcelona? Would save the return trip to Rome.)
> Barcelona
> Madrid
> Seville
> Lisbon
> Porto
> Paris

Some of your rail journeys are going to be LONG. If your budget will allow, you might consider budget flights in some cases.

Happy travels!!!

[herrbert]

As far as i can see, there are no budgetflight between Athens and Barcelona, so making the trip to Rome, and then taking a flight to Barcelona, with Vueling Airlines is not a bad solution.

As you make it Athens/Greece, I reckon you want to spend some days on the islands. If you could end on Santorini/Thira (same place, different name), you could also fly back to Rome, with Aegean Airlines. The same is true for some other Islands, like Mykonos, Kos and Rhodes. From Heraklion on Crete you can fly to Rome with Eurofly and AirOne. But note that some of the airports are only serviced in the summer shedule (starting late May/Early June)

I don't think the route in Spain is bad (providing you fly Barcelona - Sevilla, but it should include Granada. (if you choose to do so, fly Barcelona - Granada). Sevilla - Madrid, with the AVE (fast train), flight to Lisbon, train to Porto.

I would have one remark, and that's about the timing of your trip. As you say you would be leaving in March, it would mean that temperatures (in a normal spring), would be higher in Spain and Italy, as compared to the UK, France, Germany and the rest. So I would like you to consider, starting in Paris, and then getting South first (if you plan it right, you might catch one of the Santa Semana processions in Sevilla). In Greece business on the Islands doesn't get started before May/June, so I would leae ve that for the last bit. You would also see there is more action in e.g. Germany in May.

Things you missed/could consider:

Like I wrote before, Granada should be on your list. For a visit to the Alhambra, do go there first thing in the morning.

I think the grant total for Rome and Naples, is a little bit overdone, but I don't know you plans to the detail, but I would suggest, instead of staying in Naples, getting based on the Amalfi Coast. (take a daytrip to Pompeii/Naples/Capri)Siena would be an obvious stop between Florence and Rome. (maybe use 1 of the 7 nights in Rome, to stay there 1 night)

Cinque Terra, would be another place (well 5) that could use your attention.

Berlin, would need 1 day more, and I think 3 for Amsterdam would be enough. (consider taking a flight, instead of the train, check www.transavia.com)

Bratislava could be a daytrip from Vienna, or even a one-nighter before getting to Budapest. (try to take the SkyEUrope flight to Venice VCE (=Marco Polo airport) from Budapest, and not the one to Treviso (TFS)

If it is opened, when you are there (depends on the route), check out www.eisriesenwelt.com for a daytrip to Werfen from Salzburg, together with a visit to the castle in Werfen, it would make for a good daytrip.

And I am missing London (been before?)

So much to see, and time is always limited.

[sd21]

I am thinking of getting a roundtrip from Vienna to Athens and then continueing on from there. Yes I will be doing other trips around Greece during that time. I have no intrest in visting London.

[me]

that's too bad. London has much to offer.

but, to me it seems odd to go round trip Vienna - Athens - Vienna. it seems more logical to go Vienna - Athens - Budapest, Budapest being the next destination you list. Wien & Budapest are very close, that's true, but if going to the trouble of taking flights, why not use that point-to-point advantage to it's fullest?

sd21 said:

I am thinking of getting a roundtrip from Vienna to Athens and then continueing on from there. Yes I will be doing other trips around Greece during that time. I have no intrest in visting London.

[sd21]

It is cheaper for me to fly roundtrip from Vienna to Athens and Back only 220 Canadian rather then from Vienna to Athens to Budapest about 400 something and considering its only a 3 hour and a bit train ride from Vienna to Budapest its worth doing the roundtrip